My Velvet Rose
by Zetsubel
Summary: One more addition to the Cross family, Brianna Cross. Not that other name. She hates that name. The one that made her mother hate her. The one that gave her an ugly eye, like Papa. She loves her new family. So why does he have to come back? //OCxIchijo
1. Chapter 0: Mama

Woot~! Okay, now. Whoever figures out who the girl's dad is first gets do decide... Um... Her hair length/style! ... You know, in the next chapter... Oh, I dunno, some kind of little prize like that. First shot at VK, I think I did pretty well, coming up with this little plot for my OC. But anyway. Enough of that. On with the Prologue! ... Or Epilogue! ... The part that comes before the actual storyline. Whatever. n.n;;

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Chapter 0: Mama

_''Mama, we all go to hell.''_

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"Such a naughty girl..."

SNAP.

I screamed. Mama's stiletto heel dug harder into my tiny calve. I was bad again. I asked about Papa. He left and hasn't come back. Mama says it's all they're fault. Papa loves them more than us...

Her foot lifted, and she crouched down to my eye level, her pretty green eyes dulled. Mama always looks like this when I'm in trouble. She cupped my cheek in one dainty hand, staring at me, though her eyes had this faraway look in them. "You look so much like him..."

I cringed. Mama doesn't like how I look. I look too much like Papa. She said once my eyes make her sick to her stomach. And another time, she chopped my hair so short, the scissors stabbed my scalp and I bled. It's dark, like Papa's. Like his heart, she said.

Her nails dug into my chin and I whimpered. Mama's eyes sharpened and turned disgusted. Uh oh. Did I do something wrong..? That's right, Mama says I'm bad when I make a noise.

"You look like him," she hissed, standing in a whirl of soft lavender silk and flowing blonde hair. "But you're weak. He was so strong..."

Her voice faded. I panted from the pain in my leg. I should be used to this by now. I pressed my forehead to the cool hardwood floor, struggling to lift my tiny seven-year-old body off the floor. I managed to get to my hands and one good knee when Mama's cold hand wrapped around the ankle of my freshly broken leg. I gasped and smacked my chin on the floor as she started to pull, dragging me along the floor. The door bell rang. We both froze. "Miss Yagari. It's the police. Please, may we speak with you?"

I looked back at Mama slowly, terrified. She snarled quietly and stared at me. My young mind reeled at the hatred in the look. This was bad. Mama hated it when my screams brought the police by. One of her deceptively small hands lifted me by the front of my faded sun dress. She brought my face close to hers, breathing softly against my mouth. A familiar taste numbed my throat. She wrenched the hall closet open and flung me inside without a thought, shutting the door quietly on my silent screams of pain.

"Coming, coming!" I heard her over the pain, her voice soft and sweet. Her footsteps clacked down the hall.

My skinny hands shakily felt around my broken, swelling leg. I screamed, but no sound came out. Mama's no-talking spell again. She used it whenever there were people around, because she didn't want anyone to know she had a daughter with that man. I leaned limply against a wall I couldn't see, tears leaking down my sunken cheeks. Why did Papa leave us? Why does he love them more? Mama said once that his hatred for them is stronger than his love for us. I didn't quite understand anything beyond Papa didn't like us. It made me sad, because he always acted so nice before...

The door flung open suddenly. I didn't look at Mama. I could feel her rage. The police were nagging her. She could get in trouble. And it was all my fault.

"Look what you've done again."

Her hand shot out and grabbed the first thing it touched; my hair. She yanked me up and out, walking briskly to the living room. I kicked and screamed and cried in silence. Mama was really mad this time. More than I could ever remember. She dragged me onto the couch and sat on the opposite end, face in her hand tiredly. I dragged my busted leg up onto the couch, sobbing to my heart's desire now. Mama wouldn't hurt me for it with the no-talking spell on. The couch was much better than the shoe covered floor of the closet. But my leg was twice it's normal size now. I stared at it, willing it to heal up like Mama used to do to my cuts, back when Papa still pretended to love us. But Mama won't teach me like she promised.

I looked back up and went still. Mama was playing with her athame. The sharp, cerated blade shone in the dim light. She looked at me, smiling her sweet smiled usually saved for strangers. It terrified me more than when she gave me mad looks. "Mama?" I mouthed.

Faster than I could follow, her arm stretched up and lashed down. There was a split-second when I was wondering what she was doing, when a fountain of blood erupted from my left eye. I was in such shock, looking at my hands, watching the river of blood leak into my palms, there was no pain. Mama leaned forward and patted my sore head gently, absently admiring her athame, the knife she uses in her rituals. It's supposed to be a sacred knife, but Mama uses hers badly. It was covered in my blood.

"Don't mistaken me, Bri." She smiled lovingly at me, green eyes shining. "You are my precious child. I love you."

She flipped the knife suddenly, holding it backwards. Her arm stretched over her head again. Somewhere, some instinctive part of me buried deep inside, said she was going to kill me, I should run. I couldn't move. I closed my good eye, waiting.

Instead, there was a gurgling noise, and something heavy slumped against my tiny body. Quivering, my eye opened slowly. A silent scream erupted from my throat, horror filling every nook and cranny of my being. Mama stared up at me, lips moving like a fish out of water. Her body jerked, and she went still, eyes going dim. But this was a different kind of dim. The dagger burrowed to the hilt in her throat. All of her blood soaking my bare legs. I could only stare.

I remember strong arms shoving her away and cradling me against a hard, strong chest. I remember the man's scent; familiar, spicy, sad. Papa. I tried looking up through the blood and the tears and the light-headedness. A mass of unruly hair, like mine. And an eye patch covering the right side of his face. He didn't say anything, but I remember Papa didn't like talking much.

I remember him taking me to my new Papa. Long blonde hair and glasses and always so cheerful, it was creepy… And I remember crying, but it was weird. New Papa had to clean blood off my cheek later. I remember crying as Papa walked away without a word. And I remember I hate him for it.

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No, she's not gonna be a Sasuke-ish vengeful little twit against her father. OC's name is Brianna. American. o.o Oh, hush me! You'll just see. 3 Hope you'll like.


	2. Chapter 1: Ugly Eye

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Okaaay, I like the feedback. n_n Sorry, not school time yet, but there is Ichijou interaction in this one! Watching the anime, I worry if I got his character right or not. Tell me what you think, ne?

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Chapter 1: Ugly Eye

_"Mama, we're all gonna die."_

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I remember it was a sad time for me, adjusting to a family. There was Yuki, New Papa's daughter. She was little like me. But she wasn't smart then. New Papa said she didn't remember how to do anything, not even hold a spoon to eat. I remember him asking me kindly to help her learn, to be a big sister to Yuki. I'd never had a sister. To my young mind, it was a blessing. Someone my age to play with. Mama home schooled me before things went bad; I never got to play with kids my age. We had fun, and I showed her how to play tag and hide-and-go-seek. I brushed her hair and tried to braid it, and cried when I accidentally snagged a tangle and made her cry. I remember begging New Papa not to send me away, that it was an accident and I wouldn't hurt his little princess again. New Papa just hugged me tight and said we were both his little princesses now and he would never give us up.

But then, one day, Yuki was really excited. I couldn't figure out why. New Papa said a precious friend of hers was coming by for a visit. Yuki was excited, so I was excited. I sat in the front room with Yuki, staring out the window, bouncing on my heels. When it got too late for her patience, Yuki threw on her winter coat and boots and went out into the snow to wait. I watched her from the window as New Papa tried to call her back inside to wait. I remember thinking that whoever it was must've been really important to Yuki, maybe her Mama. After a while I joined her, wearing New Papa's coat and boots, too eager to look for mine. I remember a dark, sleek car pulling up out of nowhere on the driveway, and a bad shiver going down my back. My ugly eye watered up, and I quickly smacked my bare hand over it. I learned not to cry, because the red tears from it scared Yuki. I can remember in vivid detail the slender figure unfolding himself from the back seat of the car, and making his way toward us, walking as if he were gliding, completely unbothered by the snow. Yuki ran to him, and hugged his waist happily, crying out, "Kaname-sama!"

Obviously, this was Yuki's precious friend, but all that registered in my mind were the red eyes standing out in the dark, the shadowy monster I could see standing behind him. Glistening fangs, curling claws covered in blood, the same gooey red dripping from his chin. I remember dropping my arm in numb fear as tears fell freely in pure terror.

It was one of them. The ones that made Papa not like us anymore. Then he looked up at me, directly at me. I remember the hellish scream that erupted from my throat, one that didn't belong to a child. I can still feel the searing pain in my left eye, feel the blood and tears as I tore at my face and hair, trying to make the monster and the pain go away. I could feel the scar thickening and pulsing. I could hear Yuki crying out. I heard a shouted, "Kaname-sama!'' before New Papa's arms were around me, pressing my face against his chest, begging me to calm down and breathe.

I remember being on the sofa, still crying, my blood tears staining the white cushions. The pain was a constant now, and my throat was raw from that inhuman screaming. Through the bleariness, and the pain, the pretty monster sat beside me with a whimpering Yuki pressing her face against his knee. Then he leaned over, getting closer, and I thought he was going to kill me. I squeezed my eyes closed.

Instead, the tiniest, softest brush of skin against my left brow. The burning slowly subsided. I leaned back against Papa and fainted.

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After that, I started calling New Papa Tou-san. Every time Kaname would come to visit, I would have to wear a pretty pink eye patch over my left eye. It had a pretty, thorny rose pattern over it that Tou-san said would protect me from hurting again, so that I could play with Kaname and Yuki. We had fun, playing in the snow, then in the flowers, then the fallen leaves. It wasn't very fair, though. Kaname-san was a lot faster. One time, I hid behind his pretty car. When I tried to look through the glass to see where he was, I nearly had a heart attack when the window rolled down.

"Hello there." Inside the car, leaning back against the plush leather and reading a book, was another beautiful person like Kaname. I peeked over the frame at him and asked suspiciously, "Are you a vampire, too?"

"Yes," he smiled cheerfully, offering his hand through the window, green eyes shining with humor. "My name is Ichijou Takuma. It's very nice to meet you. Are you Yuki-chan's sister?"

I put my mitten in his hand and shook, grinning. "Yes! My name is Brianna Cross. Why aren't you playing with us?" He was another nice vampire. I struggled to hook my arms over the window frame and prop my short self up, looking at his book. "Is it such a good book it's better than tag?"

"It's a very good book."

I squinted at the title along the spine and giggled when I could make out the word 'Love'. I waved my arm furiously, laughing like a hyena. "Takuma-san's a girly guy!''

"Wha-! I-I am not!" he protested childishly, hugging his book. "There's absolutely nothing unusual about a boy reading a romance novel!"

"It's mushy!"

"Is not!"

"Is t-EEK!"

Yuki chose that time to sling around the car and push me off. "You're it!"

I temporarily forgot about the blonde vampire to yell at the retreating little girl. "That was cheating! Doesn't count! Do-over!"

I smacked the car door and shouted, "It's all your fault, Takuma!" and took off after my little sister.

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When Zero came to us, looking so mauled and beaten, I tried to tell Tou-san. Zero-nii made my eye sting. Tou-san said it just might be different effects for different people. None of us had any clue how the eye Mama gave me worked. I nodded, and dealt with it for a time, and then it went away. But Zero-nii... Didn't like Kaname-san. I remember the first time Yuki tried to introduce the two. Zero went at him with a table knife. Later, I remember him asking me angrily how I could stand it, being around that monster after he heard my own horrible story about Mama.

"I don't blame Kaname-san... Or Takuma-baka." I curled my knees to my chest, sitting beside him in his bed with our backs against the wall. "Papa made his decisions all on his own. So did Mama."

Then I leaned forward, because Zero didn't want to look at me. He was mad at Yuki and me, and I wasn't telling him what he wanted to hear. "Zero-nii, if it had been a human who killed your family, would you hate all of mankind? Me, and Yuki-nee, and Tou-san?"

He wouldn't answer me, but he narrowed his eyes, telling me he was listening. He just didn't like that I was making sense.

"Then... Why hate all of the vampires for one vampire's cruelty?"

He never did reply. But he was calmer when Kaname-san would visit after that. He would stay in his room, or on the other side of the house until Kaname left, and not say anything about it afterward. He probably did it to keep us girls off his back, but I liked to strut the fact that maybe I was almighty and he'd seen the wisdom in my words. But he still calls them monsters. And he still hates them as much as I hate Touga Yagari.

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Enjoy~

P.S.! By the way! Choto matte! The little Mama bits under the chapter titles are from ''Mama'', by My Chemical Romance. I love that creepy song.


	3. Chapter 2: Suga Suga

I'm terrible. I know. My PC went all BOOM, for which I blame Deidara. _ -Little blonde in the background cackling.- Cockwhore.

ANYHOOZER. I've been trying to save up pocket change for a new laptop, and hot damn, I've almost got enough. XD In the meantime, I'm having to make do with the terrible library computers that freeze up if you have more than two windows open at a time. -_- Plus a few family deaths have dampered my spirits, so I'm going through a severe case of 'who gives a shit' writer's block, and maybe this chapter is not up to parr. Gomenne! T-T

Thought about naming this chapter 'Tax Payer's Expense'. XD Just cuz I was watching that Spongebob episode where Sandy's hibernating and Patrick and Spongebob break in to play in the snow and she threatens to throw 'em in jail 'at tax payer's expense'... God, I've got the attention span of a doughnut. High-ho, Silver!! On with the chap!!

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Chapter 3: Suga Suga

_"Mama, we're all full of lies."_

"AIDO-SENPAIIIII!"

I covered my ears and whined. Even from the safetly of the trees, those girls' screams and squeals hurt my ears. I watched from the shade as Yuki tried to keep the Day Class girls in order. I grinned and stretched my bare legs out, enjoying the show. This is exactly why I didn't want to be a prefect. I enjoy these difficult bouts Yuki has to go through. Silly little things like this. And I didn't have to lose a wink of sleep for it.

"Ne!! Bri-chaaan!"

I looked up as Yuki waved from the other side of the teeming mass of fangirls.

"Help!"

I grinned wider and waved back, acting like I couldn't hear her. The huge gate behind her creaked slowly to life, and my hand dropped. The distance was better for everyone. Despite the cutesy skull beanie keeping my bangs over the ugly eye, it's better to keep a distance, juuust in case, when I didn't have an eyepatch. I'm not a fan of pain. Being near Kaname just might set it off. All vampires could if I looked at them straight. It sucks, because I'd get closer to their pretty faces if I could. For musical insperation, of course.

The stark white figures of the Night Class appeared, making their way through the suddenly uniform lines of girls. Aido was eating up the attention, as usual. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Idiot. Akatsuki, his stoic cousin, looked just as embarrassed. I laughed to myself suddenly, naming off what each member who came out would be in terms of dinner. Okay, Aido would be like the salad.. I guess.. Everyone's hungry enough to eat him up, but he's not what they're waiting for. Not a fan of the salad.

Akatsuki... What would he be.. Maybe the glass of water at the beginning of the meal. Once again, serving the same purpose as the salad; the beginning of the meal, leading up to the wine. Ruka... Ruka's the slop at the end of the entire banquet. I just plain don't frickin' like Ruka. Seiren. I kinda like her. She can be the first course. She wasn't there, but still, she's not so bad. Rima... Rima and Shiki can be the second course. Since they're both models and are both together so much. Plus the second course is kinda bigger than the first.

And the third course! Dun duh duh dun! Kaname Kuran! And as his accompanying wine, Ichijou. For desert... Uh... Wait, who's left? Okay, I like Shiki more, so take him out of the second course and make him desert.

"It's cruel to leave her to handle that by herself."

I glanced up at the gloomy figure of Zero-nii to my left, and offered a grin. "But it's so entertaining at the same time. Besides, I'm not the late prefect, you are, Zero-nii."

He sighed after a pause and headed into the slaughter. Somewhere along the line Aido had gotten himself smothered in short-skirted love. I kicked my feet laughing, as Kaname knelt beside a knocked over Yuki. Even funnier was the sudden convoy surrounding her menacingly as the gorgeous Night Class president showed her too much kindness. And then gloomy Zero was suddenly there, snatching the pureblood's hand away from Yuki possessively. My good humor died down. They exchanged words, and neither looked pleased as Kaname continued on to class. I'm not a big fan of the vampires, either... Admittedly, Aido's kind of funny, and Ichijou's a great big sap... Kaname still creeps me out, even though we played together. It's just weird now, the way he looks at Yuki. And I hate Ruka to death. If not for her, I doubt I would have anything too hard against the Night Class. I don't blame them for my father's mistakes. They're here to be civil, even if it is under Kaname's strict orders.

"That's meh cue." The Night Class continued on down their merry way. I stood and brushed my skirt off, then joined the other two, throwing my arm around Yuki's shoulders to interrupt their wholloping fest. "Nee-chan, nee-chan. You were very brave today. I thought Kaname was gonna get you killed, being so nice like that."

Yuki heaved a tired sigh. "It's tough work... Today especially, so close to Chocolate Day." She pushed me away at arm's length, huffing. "No thanks to you! Don't call me Nee-chan so freely when you won't even help me when I need you!"

"That's not fair. I'm not even a prefect," I said, crossing my arms. "Tell her, Zero."

"Non-prefects should be in the dorms," he monotoned.

My finger twitched. "Hey, I was looking for a little back up here. Big kids gotta stick together."

Yuki only smiled smugly. I hunched my shoulders and glared at the pair. "You guys..."

* * *

Despite the hateful little threats of my PRECIOUS siblings, I'm up tonight, helping. With only three Day Class students allowed to know the secrets of the Night, it's hard for Yuki and Zero to take care of policing the entire campus by themselves. I offer to help, but I still refuse to be a prefect. That'd mean constant contact with the Night Class. I'd rather not. There were a lot more lower class vampires than there were the few that I trusted, namely Ichijou and Seiren. I'd gotten used to them, so it didn't hurt the scar so much.

Yes, I know what's wrong with me. Or with what happened to make me this way. At least, I've got the gist of it, from what Tou-san's told me.

My mother was a powerful Wiccan, who worked for the same people as Papa. They fell into a reluctant love, married, tried to have a normal life outside of vampire hunting, had me. But unlike Mother, Touga Yagari just couldn't let go of it. Vampire hunting WAS his life, not his wife and daughter. We couldn't hold a candle to his precious 'purpose in life'.

Mother went insane with heartache. And without Touga around to be the brunt of her insanity, I was tortured on a regular basis. Mother moved us back to her homeland, the thick trees and dampness of Washington, separating from him, to see if that would help her. It made things worse. I wasn't allowed to go to school or leave the house. Mother would experiment spells on me if she found me near a window. I was her little secret, her scapegoat. The snivelling little reminder of how unimportant she was to the love of her life. And I paid for it dearly. My eye is cursed from the mark of her athame. Wiccan magic isn't supposed to be used to cause pain, much less inflict it upon your own blood. Black Wiccans like Mother rot in Hell, according to the book I read. But I can't find any other information on it. Apparently, it's the cardinal sin, the worst. There are hardly any other prior cases even hinting at it, because Wiccans fear the reparations so much.

All I know about it is what I've learned through experience. Like, the affect vampires, the Unpure, have on me. Horrible pain, if it looks at them directly. I know that it cries blood instead of normal tears, so I don't cry a lot. I know that Kaname can soothe it with a kiss, like he did when I met him. And I don't have to sleep much; inhuman metabolism, so I have to eat. A lot. It gets pretty boring, laying and staring at a ceiling all night long, making Disney characters out of the shadows from the window. So, when I was little, I would start reading. Just about anything, really. Medical books, dictionaries, romances, historical text books, anything Tou-san kept in his library he gave me full access to. I even found some of the smut he hides. He's quite a sci-fi yaoi fan, look out, Kaname...

Cough. Um.

I frowned, swinging my arms widely as I walked down the hall to Tou-san's office. Crap, I lost my place in my little monologue. I sighed, "Well, it's not like I know much else..."

I walked in on Yuki and Zero having a nice little discussion/argument about the Night Class. Again.

"Are our duties to wait on these movie stars as their guard, Chairman?"

I can never understand why they don't call him Tou-san. He practically grovels for it.

Tou-san smiled his usual goofy smile. "It must be troublesome, evening after evening."

I sidled up to Yuki, bumping shoulders affectionately. She gave me a sheepish smile as Zero growled. "If you know it's that hard, why don't you arrange for more prefects?" he demanded, fuming.

He gestured backward at us girls. "Those two aren't helpful at all, either."

We both twitched simultaneously. Yuki waved her fists angrily. "I don't want to be told that by a habitual late-comer!"

"I'm not even a prefect!" I fumed right along with her.

Tou-san slurped his coffee cheerfully. "That would be impossible," he said calmly. Then smiled. "Their true selves are a secret. Cross Academy is sharing the school facilities with both the Day Class and the Night Class. In order to hide the Night Class's true selves, the prefects are, no... Guardians are very important. I can only let the two of you handle that."

He sighed remorsefully, twisting his coffee mug. I took a seat on the little couch near the door, seeing as I wasn't even a part of the conversation anymore. This was between the prefects and the Chairman.

"You're always staying up overnight, being hated, and it's an unpleasant duty, but..." And here he grew dramatic. As always. "It doesn't bother me at all if I make my adorable son and loving daughter do it!"

Zero's fist went through the desk. Tou-san leapt back, protecting his beloved coffee, and I cowered against the cushions, dropping a sweat.

"It's true that you've looked after me," Zero said in a raspy, growly voice, "But I don't remember ever being your son!"

Tou-san sniffed, tears in his eyes. "Kiryu-kun, you pay too much attention to details..."

Zero growled and sighed, looking at Yuki in exasperation. "You're his real daughter, so say something to him, Yuki."

"Huh?" Yuki blinked, then looked up thoughtfully, rubbing her neck. "I think the Night Class is doing pretty well with the Day Class. I'm glad they're cooperating with each other."

"What a good girl. Daddy is happy!" He made to glomp her, but Yuki dodged it.

She sighed. "Chairman.."

"Otou-san!" he demanded weakly, sniffling into his ruined desk.

"Tou-san!" I slid into scene beside Yuki, smiling wide and peppy.

The full grown crying man was on his feet in an instant, pumping his fist at the heavens. "As expected, the only person who can understand my pacifist principles is Yuki!"

"Hey!" I groused. Geez, always forgotten.

"As you know, I..." If I squinted, I could almost see the galaxy behind him as he went into his own huge monologue about peace between vampires and humans. I applauded, cracking up. Yuki and Zero looked about ready to hand him over to the ravenous vampires.

Zero growled, fed up, and left with a slam. I winced.

Tou-san sighed. "Well, I can see what he was getting at.." He adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms, looking down. "Among the vampires we know and love there could be a dreadful vampire that could attack people."

I fidgetted, having heard what both Yuki and Zero had been through. Neither incident had been pleasant. Yuki suddenly slammed the desk back into order, causing my hair to stand on end. "What the-?"

"Kaname-senpai is different!" She nodded firmly and huffed, while Tou-san and I marveled at the perfectly fine desk. Where did little Yuki get THAT strength from? "There ARE righteous vampires like him! The outcome of peace is possible!"

"Oh, Yuki!" Tou-san made for another glomp, but she was already gone out the window.

"Leave it to us guardians, Chairman!"

"Tou-san!" he shouted, then slumped. Around that time, he realized I was still standing there, wondering how the hell she survived the jump.

"Briii?" He clapped his hands together, suddenly happy again. Man has worse moodswings than Yuki does on her period. "Is there something you needed, darling eldest daughter? OH!"

He ducked out of sight, and began tossing things around in one of his drawers. I laced my fingers behind my back patiently, excited. I grew out of the old pink eyepatch. Mentally, not physically. Pink is so... pink.

"Tada!" Tou-san popped back up, presenting me with my new, black and much cooler, eyepatch. My childhood patch had been pink with a sacred red rose in the center to protect me, 'specially ordered from the hunter society's Wiccan council. They would take pity on me, but they wouldn't lay eyes on this poor accursed little wretch. Scared of looking at such a sinful abomination.

But what do I care? I jumped forward and snatched it happily, yanking the beanie off and snapping the patch into place. It was soft black, with an emerald green rose tangled around a skull. Supposed to represent the purity of roses protecting me from something bad. A classic symbol of protection for the society's Wiccans.

"Waah! Kawaii!" Tou-san smiled, gushing. "Such a gothic little loli you have become! What a variety of children I have graciously taken under my wing!"

We exchanged fatherly daughterly embraces, and he passed me a stack of manilla folders that needed delivered to the Night Class' professor. I grinned and hopped, then danced out the door with a wave, files under my arm. "Thank you so much, Tou-san!"

My pace slowed as I adjusted my hair to fall back over the patch. I wanted to show it off, because it really is a work of art, but... It creeped some of my female classmates out when they found out I had an eye patch. They were even more creeped out when they could see the ugly scar, though, so I made do. They couldn't be pleased. Such is the way of human curiosity and nature. We don't like strange, out of place things.

I put extra effort in avoiding the mirrors that decorated the halls here and there. I wanted to see the patch, see how pretty it was, but...

I didn't want to see the similarities. Eventually, when I was nine, Tou-san had shown me a picture of himself with Touga Yagari, when he was still an infamous vampire hunter and not the pacifistic wuss he is now. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror on a stool, and started crying when I realized how identical Touga and I were. It's no wonder Mother hated me.

I paused and stared at the floor, suddenly thrown into a cage of despair. I wasn't bad. I always try my hardest to keep everyone happy. Everyone. I make sure I'm always cheerful, so, why... I've been with the Chairman and Yuuki and Zero for years, but at the same time.. I feel like an intruder...

"Nuh! What kind of thinking is this?" I said out loud, smacking my cheeks to wake myself up. "Don't worry, be happy!"

I'm just being depressing again. Teenage hormones and stuff. Tou-san was just really uptight lately. I didn't know why, but it's not his fault I was feeling low. I frowned and made my way to the vampire's classroom, a good lengthy walk down the mansion-esque hallways. It was so silly, so extravagant for a school.

I scratched my cheek. "Betcha it's because the Night Class are all richy kids... They must have their splendor to keep in mind how above us they are." I gave myself a snooty British accent and waved my hand around like a proud butler, spinning in place. Okaaay, so it's not fair, the only vampires who really act like that are.. Well, everyone except Kaname and Ichijou. Seiren's okay. She's always okay, come to think of it...

* * *

I stopped and stood stiff as a board in front of the grand double doors leading to the Night Class room. I double checked my bangs, gave the door a salute, and knocked. I heard no footsteps, naturally, but several seconds later, the slightly elderly looking professor, fangs gleaming, creaked the door open and stared down his nose at me. "Yes?"

"Delivery," I answered, glancing behind him. The room was pitch black save for the sets of glowing red eyes, attention drawn to the interruption at the door. The hairs on

* * *

the back of my neck stood on end, and I squeezed my left eye shut on reflex. I passed the folders along and waved at the small concentration at the back of the class, probably Kaname and his close clique. "Yo, Kaname."

There was a tiny hiss. Snickerfit. Ruka. I answered with a grin, satisfied, and turned back around toward a late snack.

* * *

"Ah, Bri-chan." There was a collective sigh from the kitchen staff when I stepped through the kitchen door. This only helped lift my mood.

"Yes! I'm back! Flock to me and offer me sweets!" I laughed and took my usual stool at the gigantic island counter. This little area of the cafeteria wasn't as extravegant as the rest of the campus, but I liked it. It wasn't tacky or humble by any means, no. Just not quite so much flashy gold trim. What was the point? Kitchens get too dirty. I never eat dessert with the rest of the Day Class. It's too much fun annoying the staff when they're trying to clean up. Tatsuki, one of the chef's daughters who helped out after hours, passed a styrofoam plate my way as she passed with a broom. A piece of red velvet cake with lavender colored buttercream icing roses piled on top, a scoop of french vanilla ice cream with a chocolate wafer cookie stuck in. I drooled just a little.

"I love rich schools..."

"Now get out." Tatsuki's mom loomed over, one thin brow twitching. Heavyset mom's are scarier than my mom.

And that's how I ended up walking the halls of Cross Academy at midnight licking the last of the ice cream from a plate. Epic, right?

* * *

I know, damn me. Not much happened. It was basically just establishing Bri's childish personality and explaining some evil eye symptoms.

The beginning of this chapter, the argument between Chairman Cross and Zero, is different in dialect from the first volume manga. Why? Because I imported the first season of the anime and used the crappy subtitles from it. I apologize. Wondering where I got the season? And got it CHEAP AS HELL?

You'll have to ask me in a review. 8D


	4. Chapter 3: Try to Make It Through

I know it's been forever. n.n; But in all honesty, I lost my love for this series because of Yuki. She turned out to be SUCH a Mary-Sue. Pissed me off. I got so sick of her. Still gotta work on my dislike of her. But I found a poster on eBay of Aido and Kain, and just fell in love with the playboys all over again. I bought the poster, of course. And finally found a good way to start up the chapters again. I haven't read the other three chapters in a while, and I'm afraid if I do I'll start to hate it again, so if things don't match up, I apologize. And I've decided to go with the translated manga for reference, because the subtitles of the imported season 1 I bought suck some serious ass. I'm still delighted to have it, but it suckz.

Anyway! I love the boys, so I do this for their beautiful arrogant asses and all of you fellow lovers of them! So I will put up with Kaname and Yuki! Hoo-Hah!

* * *

I found something to do with my cake later that night. I caught sight of two Day Class girls sneaking out of one of the outer hallways and into the bushes, making a beeline for the classroom windows where several Night Class members were. Naturally, I followed. Tou-san had put all three of us kids through the same training, so I could be of just as much help to them as Yuki. I just didn't like to.

Tou-san'd know, though, in that motherly way that he knows everything, so I followed, licking frosting and ice cream off the plate as I went. We were about twenty feet from one of the intricate windows when the girl with the shortest hair fell. My single eye widened at the sight of blood, but Yuki beat me to the scene. She swung down from a branch like a frickin' monkey, right beside the girls.

"You two! Give me your names and class number!" she shouted, straightening and tugging her armband into place. "Leaving the dorm at night is prohibited in the school rules! It's dangerous out here, go back to your dorm quickly!"

The second girl huffed and flipped her hair. "We came to take pictures of the night class. A few minutes shouldn't matter!"

"It does when you're bleeding," I pointed out with my plastic spoon, wiggling out of the bushes and giving Yuki a look.

I ignored the way both girls immediately focused on my eye patch. Guess I needed to fix my hair.

Yuki's shock at my sudden appearance soon turned to dismay as my words sank in. She grabbed them both by the shoulders and shoved. "You're bleeding? Hurry and get back to the dorm!"

"W-what-?"

"Now!"

I was beside Yuki the instant the air chilled. She whirled, Artemis at the ready, and nearly smashed Kain in the side of the head with it.

Right. Like a cocky vampire would let that happen. He caught it easily, and Aido took up the reigns. I bristled and shoved my arm into the chests of the two girls, clothes-lining them essentially, as Aido sank the tip of one tooth into Yuki's injured palm.

Fury. Hot, burning white fury. My thumbnail went right through the plastic plate. The spoon snapped in half, cutting into my palm to mirror Yuki's. This for some reason only enraged me further. I had never… Never, been so blatantly furious. And it wasn't a fury directed solely to Aido. But draculas in general. And in a dark, strange way.. It felt so good.

The two girls went down, overcome by the sight of Aido's bloodlust. I stared at Kain, gesturing wildly between Aido and Yuki. "DO something! He's your brain dead cousin!"

He just rubbed the back of his neck. Fed up and feeling something suspiciously wet beneath my patch, I reached for Yuki, but Zero got there first. The barrel of his gun aimed at the center of the back of Aido's head. Zero snarled a warning. Aido said something very stupid, in true Aido fashion.

"But I've already tasted her.."

BLAM!

I squealed and almost dropped my plate. Almost. Never waste red velvet, NEVER.

Yuki saved Aido's ass. Of course, sweet little Yuki. I was all ready to defend Zero, perhaps help him rip Aido a new asshole. A little thrill swept down my spine at the threat of bloodshed. Huh. Where the hell did that come from?

_You want it_, a soft, childhood melody in my head. _His blood, the vampire's blood, the leech in your mouth, warm, wet, savoring..._

Kain whistled at the impact point of the bullet hitting a tree instead. I set my cake down on the grass next to the unconscious girls and yanked Yuki back by her collar, still trembling from my small sanity slip. She protested and struggled as Zero took aim again.

"Bri! What are you doing! He'll kill him!"

"And you would let him off scott free! Yuki, he tried to drink you! You think he shouldn't have the shit scared out of him for it?"

"Agreed," a familiar, velvety voice said from behind the two vampires. Everyone in the little get-together froze, myself included. "However, I would prefer it if I were given the opportunity to 'scare the shit out of him', as you so eloquently put it."

"Kaname…" Yuki's eyes widened with adoration. I fought a gag. My arm wrapped protectively around her neck to keep her from making a run for him.

"Would you put that away… Your bloody rose gun?"

Kaname's fist curled into Aido's scruff none-too-gently, yanking the blonde high enough to have to stand on his toes a little. "I will take care of this fool and wait for the headmaster's instructions..

Is that acceptable, Kiryu?"

"Zero," Yuki insisted quietly.

Zero shot all three vampires a nasty glare and was silent for several ticks. I tugged his bicep gently with my free hand. "Come on, Zero-nii. Kaname puts the fear of hell in the Night Class better than anyone, you know that."

Our silver-haired brother jerked away from both of us, muttering, "Take him away, Kuran."

Yuki and I breathed simultaneous sighs of relief. I may not like Kaname anymore, but there would always be an attachment. I never wanted to see my brother and Kaname go at it seriously.

"Kain."

I paused at the tone of voice, as Kaname reprimanded Kain about not stopping the altercation, same as I had.

"Told you so," I sing-songed from behind his back.

Kain growled at me. I grinned.

But something still pissed me off.

It took a second, but finally, Aido's smug face even in the face of Kaname was the cause. He was just so happy to have bled my little sister. The tension between our group was palpable. I could… Smell the dark energy. Taste it. Relished it. When I looked towards the blonde again, my fingers curled. Not clenched or fisted, curled. Like talons.

_He will kill her_. That voice again. _They can't help themselves. It's in their nature. And the Pureblood... Will turn her_.

I shook myself and focused on Aido again. I did the next best thing to tearing into his beautiful face. I slammed my cake in it. Very satisfying and not considered a waste.

_A real sister would kill the threat_.

Kaname stared at me, but didn't protest. Kain sputtered along with his cousin. I ripped my eye patch off, having finally clicked what it was that was making my face so wet underneath it. Pain. Pain pain pain. So much pain, looking at three noble vampires, and a Pureblood at that.

It fueled my rage. My face was mere centimeters from the Idol's. Even the infallible Aido cringed, and Kaname hissed, but I ignored him. He wasn't the center of my universe like he was Yuki's. It barely registered that the powerful PureBlood was still there. My face was covered with smudged blood leaking from my cursed eye. All I could see was Aido; Aido, jerking Yuki around by the arm. Aido, blood-red eyes to match Yuki's blood. Blood Aido drew. Blood Aido drank. From _my_ little sister.

"If you ever touch my sister again, Hanabusa, I'll eat you." My teeth were on display, as if I had a set of fangs of my own.

The real me cringed inside my mind as I spoke. What? I'd do WHAT? Since when?

I snapped the eye patch into place and whirled, following - more like fleeing - after my siblings, who were carting the girls off to Tou-san. And for the first time since I was young, I was terrified. I never got that mad. I never said things like that. What did you do to me, Mama?

* * *

Like I said, some things might match up, some might not. I still love my ideas for this fic, so I honest to God hope I don't lose interest again. I've already got the next chapter typed up. n.n Wish me luck, hope there's still someone around reading this crap.


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